By Bert Zethof

Fairly compensating musicians for their creative work is one thing, discouraging a vibrant street scene is another.

It was reported today that buskers playing music in Sky Train stations in Vancouver received a notice that they could soon be asked to pay as much as $1,500 annually for a performance license. The notice came in response to demands from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) for royalty fees.

Sure buskers accept money for their play but these donations are voluntary and the buskers generally don't make a large income.

Street music is vital to the vibrancy and livability of cities around the world. They create joy and feelings of goodwill among citizens. A street scene that is genuinely of the people and for the people, and not commercially fixated, is one of the factors that makes life worth living.

In my opinion, enforcing copyright laws among buskers is going too far. However, I can understand the principle involved. This is one place where it's wiser to turn a blind eye. However, if SOCAN must insist, then make the royalty formula a reasonable one and ensure that it doesn't in any way deter the street scene.

PS: Posted by Seth Godin in his blog of December 7th, 2009, titled "How to protect your ideas in the digital age":

"So, how to protect your ideas in a world where ideas spread?

Don't.

Instead, spread them. Build a reputation as someone who creates great ideas, sometimes on demand. Or as someone who can manipulate or build on your ideas better than a copycat can. Or use your ideas to earn a permission asset so you can build a relationship with people who are interested. Focus on being the best tailor with the sharpest scissors, not the litigant who sues any tailor who deigns to use a pair of scissors."